


The Kids are Alright (Drabbles from Some Things Never Change)

by Dark_Romances



Series: FFXV Family AU [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: AU where no one dies and everyone is happy okay, AU where nothing bad every happened, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Drabbles, Family Fluff, M/M, Non Linear Timeline, OC children - Freeform, Other, all the fluff actually, family au, kids being kids
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-12-07
Packaged: 2018-10-14 18:41:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10542279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dark_Romances/pseuds/Dark_Romances
Summary: A compilation of short fics about the Chocobro and their kids. Based on my previous fic, Some Things Never Change.





	1. Training (Nikolas)

**Author's Note:**

> I have soooo many little ideas in my head as I write my other fic but I know it would be kinda crazy for me to constantly have so many ideas going on at once as I write. So created this little series. It is going to be filled with various 500-1000 word ficlets with Nikolas, Malena, and Neveah (and their parents) . Most will probably take place when they are older but be aware that this is kinda of an idea dump so they could be teenagers in one chapter and back in utero in the next.
> 
> Since these fics are much shorter than the ones in the main story, I can also take requests as well! Feel free to leave ideas down in the comments or send me an ask on my Tumblr (https://www.tumblr.com/blog/mermaid-fins-and-mermaid-tears)
> 
> I figured you guys might want a little more kid action :)
> 
> Soooo I hope you guys enjoy!

“Nikky?” Prompto asked, opening the door to the teenager’s art room slowly.

 

Nikolas was entranced in his latest painting, focusing solely on the highlights on the body of water he was working on. His long dark hair was pulled into a low ponytail on the back of his neck. His glasses were sitting on the tip of his nose as he concentrated on where he placed each little highlight. His face and shirt covered in various different colors, usually from him wiping his hands on his shirt or wiping the sweat from his brow. He cautiously dipped his brush back into the chaotic palette of colors below him before cursing quietly.

 

“Nikolas.” Prompto called again.

 

He finally looked up for a second at his dad before looking back at his palette and mixing a bit of white into the mass of blues he had. “Yes?”

 

“You know what day it is,” Prompto said, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning in the doorframe. “You can’t get away this time. Your uncle Gladio will drag you out of here by your ears.”

 

Nikolas scoffed before continuing to paint more highlights on the water. “He knows more than anyone about my lack of enthusiasm when it comes to fighting. Isn’t that what I have a ‘shield’ for? To fight for me?”

 

“Not to fight for you. To fight with you and protect you smart ass. That doesn’t mean that you get to skip out. Now, come on. You are gonna be late.”

 

Nikolas sighed deeply and set his palette down on the small table next to his easel. He pushed his glasses onto the top of his head. “I wanted to finish this today. Grandpa wants it for his room. He said he needed a new piece in there.” he said, picking up his brush again and fixing some small details.

 

“His place is already filled to the brim with your art,” he said, peeking over to see his work. “Is that the slough?”

 

“Yeah. I was trying to recreate this” he said with a soft smile as he picked up a slightly dirtied picture from the small table nearby and held it up. “I found this picture in that huge pile of prints you have hidden away. It was from when I was little. You can see me in the background with my feet in the water.”

 

Prompto chuckled and reached out and grabbed the picture. He took a long look at it and smiled brightly. “You were trying to catch frogs all day. ‘Daddy! I want a frog! Help me catch a frog’ is all you said all day. You managed to catch one but it jumped out of your hands. You were so upset. It was hilarious.” he explained, looking at the picture once more. “Things haven't changed much since then. Mr. Froggy just upgraded into a real frog.”

 

Nikolas let out a soft laugh as he grabbed the picture back. He set it back down and grabbed his brush again, working on his little feet in the water now. Prompto took a step into the room and looked over Nikolas’ canvas.

 

The kid was talented without a doubt. Both Prompto and Noctis’ knew that from an early age but he really excelled in painting. Ever since he picked up that brush, he fell in love. He did other art as well but painting had his heart. Ever since they moved into the Citadel, Nikolas made it his mission to fill the drabby walls with art, so some of the edge would be taken off when he walked through the castle halls.

 

Regis was by far his biggest fan, constantly giving him ideas to work with and buying him all his supplies whenever he needed them. Anything to keep his grandchild happy.

 

“Okay, seriously you gotta go soon. I already get an earful from both your Papa and Gladio from you skipping out on training.” Prompto said, grabbing his son’s shoulder.    
  


“I’m sure Papa slipped out of many training sessions when he was my age.” He said, taking off the glasses and setting them off to the side. 

 

“He wished he could. Your Uncle Gladio was on his ass all the time. You thought he was bad to you, he was much worse to your Papa.” he explained. “You know Malena is going to be upset if you don’t show up. She is training to take over your sessions and having you skip out will make her feel bad. She takes her job pretty seriously.”

 

“Well yeah. She is a freaking monster when it comes to fighting. All she does is train and go to school. Uncle Gladio is already trying to train her to wield a greatsword. Of course, she takes her job seriously.”

 

“So that means don't disappoint her. You know you would feel bad if she got upset. She fights hard to beat the age gap between you two.” Prompto pointed out.

 

Nikolas sighed deeply and sat up from his stool. “Fine. Just give me a minute to get back to my room and change.” 

 

Prompto patted his shoulder and smiled a little. “Deal. See you there in a little while.” he said, exiting the room. “Oh and Nikky?”

 

“Yeah dad?” he asked, freeing his long hair from the tight ponytail. 

 

“That’s a really good one. Your Grandpa is going to love it. You are seriously getting really good. Your Papa and I are really proud of you.” he said with a soft smile before leaving the room.

 

“Thank you.” he said softly, raking his paint covered fingers through his hair.

 


	2. Like Daughter, Like Father (Malena)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Malena has her training session with Gladio.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back!
> 
> I can pump out these chapters pretty fast so expect this to be updated a few times a week. Requests are still open as well!
> 
> Have some quality father-daughter bonding.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy!

A loud thud echoed through the room followed by a groan.

 

“Get up. Let’s go again. Keep your eyes on me this time.” Gladiolus said, easily heaving the wooden greatsword over his shoulder. “Getting distracted like that will get you killed in a real battle.”

 

Malena wiped the sweat from her brows as she stumbled back onto her feet. She'd spent more time on the floor than on her feet for the entire session. “I get it. You don't have to keep telling me.” She spat, looking up at her Pop with furrowed brows.

 

“I'm going to tell you until it finally gets through that thick skull of yours.” Gladio said, playfully tapping her head.

 

“Wonder where I got that from.” She commented under her breath, picking up her wooden sword from the floor in a huff. She was getting pretty tired of getting knocked on her ass.

 

Gladio rolled his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair. “Enough chat. Get into your stance.”

 

Malena sighed and nodded, placing her left leg slightly in front of her right with her knees bent and the practice sword right in front of her. “I'm going to tag you this time Pop. I bet you ice cream after today's session.” She said, flipping the short blond fringe out of her face.

 

“Get your wallet out Sweet Pea because I'm not going easy on you.” Gladio said, getting into a stance of his own.

 

“Didn't ask you too.” She said with a smirk and a look that reminded him of himself when he was younger. He smiled and charged forward, swinging his sword in time with her.

 

Malena quickly sidestepped his first attack, swiftly dodging the swing with a move of the hips. With a loud grunt, she swung hard only to get easily blocked by Gladio and sending her back a bit.

 

She took a deep breath and went on the defensive, blocking Gladio's incoming attack and parrying back enough to squeeze away. She started doing quick combos, hoping it would tire her father out enough for her to make a quick move.

 

Gladio blocked them all with ease and took the first open window to swing. Malena took a breath and did a quick backhand spring out the area.

 

“You've been training with your Dad haven't you!” Gladio shouted, his brows furrowing.

 

Malena smirked, “He is much easier on me than you are.” She joked, panting heavily and holding her sword in front of her.

 

Gladio took a brisk walk over, taking the moment to use a combo of his own on her. “I'm not your Pop in here. I'm your instructor.” He said, carefully stepping out to keep Malena from dipping from the next attack. “I'm here to instruct you on how to protect your liege. I'm here to keep you from making a mistake that can cost you your life. Real enemies won't be easy on you. As much as it kills me to think about you sacrificing yourself, we have a duty to uphold. You aren't a little girl anymore and I can't keep treating you like one if you are taking on the duty of being King’s shield.” He lectured, keeping his gaze on her.

 

Malena sighed deeply and nodded softly. “I understand...” she muttered quietly. Just then, Malena quickly slid in between Gladio’s legs, hooking her arm around his ankle and taking him down with a loud thud. She stood up and pointed the sword to his chest and poked him gently. “Rule number 1: Don't let your guard down in front of an enemy.” She said with a big grin. “A large banana split with extra whipped cream please.”

 

Gladio looked up in shock before chuckling deeply. “I think I know where you get that thick skull from.” He said with a big grin as he picked himself off the ground. “But on a serious note, everything I said still is true Malena.”

 

“I know. You and dad have always been worried about me doing this. I have heard you guys argue about it for years.” She said, wiping the sweat from her forehead with her tank top. “You both gave me a choice. No one forced me to do this. I wanted to. I want to uphold the tradition of the Amicitia name. I am going to protect Nikolas the same way you did Uncle Noct and the same way Grandpa did for King Regis and so on. I know the dangers of it. I have always known.” She said before looking up at her Pop once more. “I am not asking for you to go easy on me. I'm not asking for less training. I'm asking you to stop worrying about me so much. Like you said, I'm not a little girl anymore. Don't start treating me like one now. I get enough of that from Dad.” She said with a soft smile.

 

Gladio felt his heart swell a little bit. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “Ya know sometimes I forget you are only 13. You definitely got all that fancy talking shit from your dad.” he said, leading her to their bags.

 

“Excuse you, sir! I’m going to be 14 soon! Plus, I'm nowhere near as bad as Nevaeh. She's even catching into some dad's mannerisms now. She called his glasses spectacles the other day.”

 

“Maybe I need to get her out here more often then. I don't think once a week is enough.”

 

“Yeah right. Dragging her from her dance classes will be like pulling teeth.” She said.

 

“You both got my stubbornness that's for sure.” He said, picking up both of their bags and tossing them on his free shoulder. “I'm sure your dad is still here at the Citadel. Do you want to go see him before we go get your sister?”

 

“Nah. I'd rather go get my well earned ice cream cone from my pop who falls to the ground like a dying Behemoth.”

 

Gladio grabbed her tighter and aggressively ruffled the short sandy blond mop on her head, making Malena laugh loudly. “Damn smart ass! You've been around your uncle Noct too much!” He said.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
>  
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr! I don't bite and my chat and ask box are always open!
> 
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/mermaid-fins-and-mermaid-tears
> 
> Feedback and kudos are always and forever appreciated as well!


	3. Duty (Neveah)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Malena reminds Neveah of her duty to the crown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love these kids so much! I wanted to kinda introduce them a little before I started having them interact more with one another. Now that they each have their little intro, expect more chapters will all 3 of them together.
> 
> I have so many ideas for this little series I have going on here. Don't worry though, the main story will be updated soon!
> 
>  
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Nevaeh quietly counted to herself as her feet carried her across the wood flooring. A soft piano medley was playing from her phone as well, helping her keep her steps in sync. She wanted the lead role in the next dance production and she spent almost all her free time outside of class practicing.

 

She managed to move most of the furniture out of her way so she could least practice pirouettes without worrying about smashing her leg against anything. Her dad would be furious with her when he got home but she pushed that thought to the back of her head as she arranged her feet in 5th position. 

 

She took a deep breath and slowly brought her leg into a full extension, her knee seemingly brushing her ear. Her goal was to hold it for 4 full seconds.

 

“Dad's gunna kill you when he sees this ya know!” Malena called out. The sudden noise caused Nevaeh to jump, causing her legs to wobble and making her fall right to the ground. She groaned loudly and turned her head quickly to face her sister.

 

“Thanks for messing me up Malena. I could have done 4 seconds this time!” she yelled, furrowing her brows.

 

“I was trying to warn you. I'm not covering for you this time.” Malena said, flopping onto the couch. “Plus, there was no way you would have made it 4 seconds. Your hips turned when you got your leg up.”

 

Nevaeh scoffed and pulled herself off the floor. She carefully stretched her feet, looking over at her sister. “Don't need to rub it in Mal. You have the eyes of a damn hawk. You could see anything wrong in a second.”

 

“If you would train more, you could do it too Nay.”

 

“Over my dead body. I have enough with the one day I have to go. Messes up my practice schedule every week.” She muttered as she moved to stretch out her legs.

 

“But you are actually pretty good at fighting! You're a natural!”

 

“Doesn't mean I want to fight for the rest of my life. You're the king's shield for a reason Mal.”

 

“Yeah and? You still gotta fight. You're supposed to be Nik’s advisor. Meaning you'll be by his side in battle sometimes. Doing pirouettes won't save you from getting a sword to the gut.”

 

“Ugh. You sound just like Pop.” she said, turning away from her sister as she went back to practicing her leg lifts.

 

“He has a point, Nay! You have to start taking your duty seriously!”

 

Nevaeh rolled her eyes before carefully lifting her leg once more. She took a few deep breaths as her leg was above her hip now.

 

“Don't ignore me Nevaeh! We have a duty to the crown. We always have. Ignoring it doesn't make it go away.” Malena said, poking her head up from behind the couch.

 

“Oh, I'm so sorry that I refuse to give every waking moment of my life to Nikolas. I'm sorry I have my own dreams and aspirations I want to achieve before I give my life away.” She said, dropping her leg and facing her twin. “I understand what I have to do but that doesn’t mean I can’t be my own person while I do it. I get it. Your job is very different than mine but that doesn't mean you get to act like Pop does and force my duty down my throat all the time.”

 

Malena listened, wanting to say something snappy back but each time she opened her mouth, nothing came out. 

 

“Don't think I don't do my duty as advisor just because I don't think about it every second of the day like you do. I do everything I need to do and I make time to practice. It’s the sacrifice  _ I  _ am willing to make.” Nevaeh said, pushing the stray hairs back into her ponytail. “Now if you would excuse me. I only have 20 minutes left of practice time before I need to start reading over my meeting notes and getting ready for tomorrow. I need all the time I can get if I want the lead role.”

 

Malena huffed and lifted herself from the comfy couch and headed to her room, slamming the door so Nevaeh could hear. It only made her sigh deeply as she looked over at her phone which already had her next calendar event on it as well at a few texts from the crown Prince himself. She picked up her phone and glanced over the messages.

 

**_Nikky [5:35 pm]: Sorry I'm interrupting your scheduled practice time. Won't do it again I promise. I just needed to tell you something._ **

 

**_Nikky [5:36 pm]: Don't worry about Friday. I know you have tryouts for your dance thing. I told my Papa that I “wanted to see what a meeting was like” and he agreed to let me sit in instead of you. You have whole the day free._ **

 

**_Nikky [5:36 pm]: If I have to sit through that boring meeting, you better get that lead role Nay Nay!_ **

 

Nevaeh smiled softly and quickly typed out a reply.

 

**_Me [5:40 pm]: Thank you Nik. I really appreciate it. I will do my best._ **

 

Nevaeh restarted her music again and carefully put her phone down. She took a deep breath and started her choreography from the top, dancing as if she was in the auditions already.

 

She needed to practice for Friday. It wouldn't be nice to disappoint his highness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Neveah is my favorite kid out of the bunch. Don't get me wrong, I love all these kids with all my heart but Neveah is my sunshine baby. Headstrong and confident. My fav.
> 
>  
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr! I don't bite and my chat and ask box are always open!
> 
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/mermaid-fins-and-mermaid-tears
> 
> Feedback and kudos are always and forever appreciated as well!


	4. A Walk to School (All 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nikolas, Malena, and Neveah walk to school together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, I write something with all 3 kids interacting together. It was pretty fun if I say so myself. The dynamic between these 3 makes it interesting.
> 
> I don't know if I ever described the kids now that they are older so I'll just do it here. I always have a hard time describing things in the story.'
> 
> Nikolas is 17 as of right now. He is average build since he trains a bit but he still is fond of junk food and spending his free time painting and drawing frogs. He is 5'6 a little on the short side which urks him just a little bit because both girls are taller than him even though they are almost 4 years younger. He had long dark hair that has grown down to the bottom of his shoulder blades but he hardly takes care of it. When he is painting, he throws it up in a messy bun on the top of his head. But most of the time he either has it in a half up, half down style or just flowing down. He is pretty causal dresser, meaning he's almost always in a t-shirt and jeans.
> 
> Malena is 13 as of right now. She's pretty muscular since she trains with Gladio almost every day. Of course, she still likes junk food but Ignis insists she eats better so she can fight better. But just because she's muscular doesn't mean she's not attractive. She's a curvy girl for her age (puberty hasn't settled in just yet). She used to have long blond hair like her twin sister but she found it to be a nuisance and cut it all off to make a short pixie cut type style. She likes to show off her muscles so when she is not in school, she's wearing tank tops and short sleeve shirts and shorts.
> 
> Neveah is also 13 as of right now. Unlike her twin sister, her body is toned in different ways. She is a dancer and has been dancing her entire life so her body and diet reflect that. Ignis is always making up new healthy and protein filled recipes for her to try out. Despite being a dancer, her body isn't as lithe as some. She has powerful legs and immense core strength and it shows. Her blond hair reaches down to the small of her back and she often spends the time to curl it every morning when they go to school. She wears a bit of makeup as well to hide her tired eyes from friends and family and she wears the same pink lipgloss every day. She dresses much "nicer" than her sister. She's always in something cute and trendy and she loves skirts of all lengths (Ignis is happy for that one).
> 
>  
> 
> So there is the rundown of the kids that none of you wanted but I did anyway. :)
> 
>  
> 
> Got any ideas? Leave them in the comments below or send me them on my tumblr (https://www.tumblr.com/blog/mermaid-fins-and-mermaid-tears)
> 
>  
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

“Nikky! The girls are here! Hurry up they are waiting on you!” Prompto said as he knocked on the teen’s door.

 

A loud groan was heard from the other side and the sleepy prince opened the door, clad in his school uniform but his hair sticking up in every direction. “I’ll be out in a second.” He said with a yawn. 

 

He grabbed a brush off of his dresser and haphazardly ran the brush through the knots he found. His hair had finally grown past his shoulder blades but that didn't change the boy's lazy hair care habits.

 

He grabbed the top section of the dark locks and secured it with a hair tie, leaving the rest of his hair down. It was enough hair down to keep him happy but enough hair up to keep it out of his eyes. It was no different than he did his hair every day but he just happened to run a brush through instead of just his fingers like usual.

 

He could hear footsteps coming from beyond the door. He figured it was Prompto, ready to scold him again for taking his time.

 

“Hey, Niko! Hurry up, we don't have all day!” Malena called out, holding her school bag over her shoulder.

 

“I don’t want to be late again. It’s embarrassing to get called out in front of everyone. Some of us don't have the crown prince of Lucis card to play to get out of it.” Nevaeh said, dusting the front of her blazer off. 

 

Nikolas rolled his eyes and grabbed his bag. “You know you don't have to come here every morning to come get me if you are so worried about being late.” he said as he pulled on the tie around his neck to loosen it up.

 

“You still get lost trying to find the bathroom here in the Citadel. There's no way in hell you could find your way to school by yourself. Plus if we didn't come, you'd skip all the time.” Malena commented, running her fingers through her short blond fringe.

 

“Only the Amicitia twins would be so militant about school. Just because you guys are smart and skipped a few grades and ended up in high school early doesn't mean you have to be all up in arms about going to school.”

 

Malena and Nevaeh rolled their eyes in sync. They started walking on either side of Nik. They waved to Prompto before heading out one if the side doors of the citadel. 

 

The gatekeeper waved the group on and soon they were on the main road towards their school.

 

“Did you read the meeting notes from the other day Nikolas?” Nevaeh asked, shifting her bag in her shoulder a bit 

 

“It creeps me out when you use my whole name like that. I feel like I'm in trouble.” Nikolas said, turning his head to face her.

 

“You will be hearing more than just your full name if you didn't read those notes.” Nevaeh threatened, her eyes narrowing as she spoke. “They are very important.”

 

Nikolas reached back to touch the free hair on his neck as he let out a nervous laugh. Nevaeh sighed deeply and shook her head. 

 

“I really was going to read it. I swear. But I saw a really pretty looking tree frog while I was scrolling through the internet and I had to draw it. But then I saw it had different color variations and I had to draw them all then color them. Before I knew it, it was two thirty in the morning.” Nik explained. 

 

“Bet you didn't do your math homework again.” Malena chimed in as she typed away on her phone.

 

“And I bet you've been texting Ulric all morning again.” Nikolas snapped back. Malena quickly flipped him off, holding it front of him as she finished talking. Nikolas burst out into loud laughter and pushed her hand away.

 

“Guess I was right on target.” He said triumphantly.

 

“If only you were on target during training.” She commented.

 

Nikolas rolled his eyes and looked over at Nevaeh, who was looking away as they walked. Her eyes were a tad glazed over and he just noticed the dark bags under her eyes. She even walked as if she was stepping on glass with each step. It was oddly noticeable and made Nik concerned.

 

“Nay, you okay?” Nikolas asked, putting his hand on her shoulder and stepping a bit closer.

 

Nevaeh quickly returned to reality, turning to face the older boy. She nodded and held her bag tightly.  “Just tired is all.” She said.

 

Nikolas furrowed his brows and shook his head.”No way. You've been pushing yourself too hard lately. You are going to pass out! I'm happy you got the lead role like you wanted but I can see it taking a toll on you lately. You never zone out like this and you look like you are stepping on broken glass with each step you take.” He commented.

 

Nevaeh feigned a smile at the boy and straightened up. “I'm fine. I promise. Just takes a little getting used to all this practice.” She explained. “I thought my feet were bad before I got this role. I was certainly wrong about that.” She half-joked. 

 

Malena sighed and shook her head. “Don't let her fool you Niko. It's more than just her feet. She was at practice from after school until 6 then did her homework, went to a meeting, then practiced until eleven forty-five at night when my dad yelled at her for overworking her body. She won't listen to anyone about it. Maybe she will listen to you.”

 

“Nevaeh!” Nik called out, furrowing his brows. “Are you serious?”

 

Nevaeh shot Malena an angry look. 

 

“Don't give me that look. I'm not trying to scrape you off the floor because you collapse from stress and sleep exhaustion.” Malena admitted, still typing away on her phone.

 

“I said I'm fine. I'm just getting used to a new practice schedule okay! You don't have to be worried about me. I know my limit.” She yelled, looking down at the at her feet. “Now would you two hurry up? I don't want to be late and get in trouble again.” She asked, the anger starting to bubble over.

 

Nikolas stood in front of Nevaeh and grabbed her shoulder.  “Nay, stop getting angry. We are just trying to look after you and make sure you are okay.” he said softly. 

 

“You don't need to look after me! That is not your job!” She said in a near growl as she jerked away. She pulled her bag all the way on her shoulder and looked up at Nikolas. “Now, if you would excuse me,  _ your highness _ , school starts in 25 minutes and I will  _ not _ be missing the first bell.” she spat before walking off in front of them.

 

Nikolas started to chase after her but Malena stopped him with a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Leave her be. She is not nice at all when she's angry like this. Vee may be sweet and shit normally but it's scary when she's mad. She’s definitely got Pops bad temper. Meaning, don't mess with her while she's angry.” She explained. “She's been like this for a few days now. I tried to talk to her. Pop and dad tried to talk to her. Hell, even Grandpa Clarus gave her a talk too. We are all worried about her but nothing's working. We decided to keep our distance and let her work this out alone. She will get us when she needs us.” 

 

Nikolas sighed deeply and ran his hand over the smooth top of his hair. “She's going to keel over Mellie. It's not healthy to be working this hard when she is this young. You guys like to act like you are older than 13 but god damn it! Your bodies don't work like that.” He huffed.

 

“Niko chill. I'm not going to chose which one of you to protect when you two get into a fight.” She said simply.

 

“Me, of course. I'm your prince and it’s your duty as King’s shield.” He said confidently. Malena punched him in the arm, causing Nikolas to whimper in pain.

 

“Don't you start being an ass too. It's too early to have two stubborn assholes surrounding me.” She said as she started walking ahead. Nikolas groaned loudly, holding his dead arm as he tried to catch up to her.

 

“Damn Amicitia twins!” He called out in frustration.

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, I love these kids!
> 
>  
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr! I don't bite and my chat and ask box are always open!
> 
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/mermaid-fins-and-mermaid-tears
> 
> Feedback and kudos are always and forever appreciated as well!
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	5. Easter Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The egg hunt is the kids favorite part of the holiday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah Yeah I know I'm late but I have a habit of getting sick on holidays sooooooo I spend my day dying yesterday that why this got posted today. I'm sorry. I just wanted to write something quick and sweet for the holiday so here we have it. It's not my best work but I wanted to get this up before it was too late.
> 
> In this chapter, the kids aren't older. Nikky is 4 and the girls are 9 months. Don't worry. The older kids will be back soon!
> 
>  
> 
> I would also like to take this time to thank my friends Bulecelup, Dinoshinebright, and Jean-the-bean on Tumblr for drawing wonderful fan art for this series! I love and appreciate you!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

“Nikky! You can't just take all the eggs! The girls need to have some in their baskets too!” Prompto yelled from the other side of the yard, camera in hand. He was snapping pictures of the kids’ egg hunt this year. 

 

The egg hunt was always Nikolas’ favorite part of Easter. Dressing up nicely, however, seemed to be his least favorite part. He had already gotten his little blue button up and slacks covered in melted chocolate and residue from sticky candy and his neatly brushed hair had already returned to his typical wild mess. So much for cute pictures, Prompto thought.

 

Nikky pouted and walked over to the two small girls who were wobbling around in the lawn as the hunted for eggs. Each girl hand in hand with a parent. Gladio had Malena's hand and Ignis had Nevaeh’s as they searched the yard for the colorful eggs.

 

Unlike Nikolas, the girls managed to keep their dresses relatively clean thanks to Ignis. He would rather them not ruin the nice Easter dresses he bought them both. Both Spring dresses were identical in style. They were sleeveless with a thick ribbon across the waistline that tied into a bow in the back. It was covered in ruffles had a subtle floral pattern covering it. They both had a bright white short sleeved cardigan over the top with only the top button fastened. Malena’s was a light blue while Nevaeh's was a warm pink. They both had the same hair style; high curly pigtails with matching bows decorating each one. 

 

Nikolas started putting eggs into the girl's baskets one by one. Noctis sighed deeply and shook his head. “Nik! Don't just give them to them! They want to go hunt them too. Go put them back where you found them.”

 

Nikolas’ frown only settled in deeper as he grabbed the eggs from out of their baskets again to go hide them once more. Malena didn't take the thievery very well and started cry loudly, pulling her basket away from the other boy. “No!” she whined. Gladio quickly intervened, picking the girl up and resting her on his hip.

 

“Hey hey! He's going to put them back so you can go find em. No need to cry or throw a fit sweet pea.” Gladio said as he rubbed the girl’s back. It didn't stop her from crying though. Nikolas looked up at Gladio for instructions on what to do next. 

 

“It's fine bud. Just go hide the eggs you already have. Don't hide them too well. They can barely walk.” He pointed out. Nikolas nodded and ran off to go hide the eggs again.

 

Meanwhile, Ignis was leading Nevaeh around the yard slowly, pointing out the eggs that lay in the grass below her. 

 

“Look darling. There is one right there.” He said, crouching down to point it out to her. Nevaeh wobbled over to the eggs and bent over to pick it up. Once she had it in her hand, she ran over to Ignis with her arm outstretched to proudly show off her sudden discovery. “Good job sweetie.” He praised, leaning over to kiss her head. “Now, put it in the basket with the others. There are plenty more for you and your sister to find.” he said with a smile as he stood up.

 

Nevaeh spotted another one a few feet away and ran over to a bright pink plastic egg. She grabbed her egg and sat down in the grass to play with the plastic egg right away. Ignis chuckled and pulled out his phone to take a picture of the baby trying to open the egg. It wasn’t long before Malena ran over to join her sister, eager to show her the large piece of chocolate Gladio let her have out of one of the eggs she found.  Both girls sat in the grass across from each other and shared the candy they found in the plastic eggs. Ignis and Gladio chuckled to themselves as they went over to take pictures of the giggling twins. 

 

Prompto saw the photo opportunity from a mile away and came running with the camera. Noctis followed suit to join the group. “Nikky! Come sit with the girls! Hurry so I can take some pictures of all of you!” he called out as she snapped away. 

 

Nikolas came walking up, licking the melted chocolate off his hand as he plopped down in the middle of the two girls. They cooed loudly, leaning over to hug the other boy with their sticky hands. 

 

“Ew! Mellie! Nay Nay! You guys are sticky and stuff! Gross1” he shouted, wiggling around underneath the girls as they assaulted them with their candy-covered hands.

 

The parents in front of them chuckled as they took pictures. It was a sweet moment for sure. Probably to be framed at a later date.

 

Gladio was standing behind Ignis, his arm wrapped around his husband’s shoulders in a tight embrace. He pressed a soft kiss to his temple before leaning his chin against Ignis’ shoulder. 

 

“Look at them Gladio. Absolutely precious.” Ignis said as he leaned back a bit against the bigger man’s chest. Gladio grunted in agreement, watching the children intently.

 

Prompto was still on the ground taking picture after picture of the children. 

 

“Prom, let them enjoy the candy  _ without _ the camera in their faces,” Noct said, putting a hand on Prompto’s shoulder.

 

“But! But their sooo cute Noct! They won’t be this small forever!” Prompto whined, looking up at the dark haired man.

 

“They will be this small tomorrow and the next day. Let them enjoy the moment now.”

 

“Indeed.” Ignis chimed in. “I am sure all of us have this memory etched into our minds. You have also taken more than enough pictures to suffice.”

 

Prompto sighed and stood up, pouting a bit as he slung the camera back over his neck. Noctis stepped closer and wrapped his arm around his waist, leaning over to kiss his cheek.

 

“They are growing up too fast Noct!” Prompto whined, leaning his weight onto Noct’s side. 

 

“Yeah yeah I know. Just wait till Specs and Gladio find that out. Once they start walking on their own, it's only downhill from there. Before you know it, they are talking and using forks. It's crazy.” he said.

 

“We already know. Did you forget that we both watched you grow up, get married, and have a kid? You are basically our oldest son.” Gladio joked.

 

“Indeed. And what a man you came out to be.” Ignis said with a soft smile.

 

“Dada!” Malena whined, holding her arms in the air towards Ignis as a gesture to get picked up. Nevaeh was too busy sucking on the half-eaten chocolate bunny Nikolas had given to her instead of Malena. Ignis chuckled and freed himself from Gladio’s grip to pick up the whining child.

 

“Oh Princess what’s the matter?” Ignis cooed, pushing a strand of hair back into her pigtails. Malena only whined louder, burying her face into his chest. “I think it's nap time. For all of you. Including you Nikolas.”

 

“Naaappp timmmmeee? But I’m not sleepy Uncle Iggy!” he whined, flailing his legs in anger. 

 

“Hey, don’t argue with him okay? You know you are a mess if you don’t take a nap in the day. So let's go. You can even sleep with the girls this time.” Noctis said, grabbing the boy’s candy coated hand and leading him to the house. Prompto reached down and picked up Nevaeh to take her inside alongside Ignis and Malena. Gladio grabbed the candy-filled baskets and made his way inside as well.

 

“Hey, Ignis,” Prompto said, letting the little girl rest against him.

 

“Yes?”

 

“We are going to have to come out and find all those eggs we hid, huh?”

 

“Precisely. It will take all four of us though. It was  _ someone’s  _ bright idea that we hide over a hundred eggs for a four-year-old and two 9-month-olds.” Ignis stated, rubbing his whining child's back in an attempt to soothe her.

 

“Hey! I thought it would be fun okay!” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
>  
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr! I don't bite and my chat and ask box are always open!
> 
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/mermaid-fins-and-mermaid-tears
> 
> Feedback and kudos are always and forever appreciated as well!


	6. Eyes (All 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nikolas shows the twins a drawing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about such a late update. Life has been pretty hectic for me as of late and my motivation went down with it so excuse the super late updates. I wanted to give you guys a little something while I worked on the chapter for the main story.
> 
> Thanks for all your support xoxo
> 
>  
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy!

“Seriously Niko. Do you ever actually study?” Nevaeh asked from the top of Nikolas’ bed, papers sprawled out and books open. “You need to pass this or you'll be stuck in summer classes and miss out on all sorts of stuff. And don't think we will tag along with you if you get stuck there. We both have very busy schedules this summer.”

 

Nikolas had his sketchbook out, furiously drawing something that was obviously more important than his schoolwork. He wasn't paying any attention to her. He hadn't even heard her, tuning out the world around him so he can finish his drawing in peace.

 

“He can't even hear you, Nay. He’s not paying attention. You know how he is when he gets he feels the burning desire to draw .” Malena said, scribbling notes on a piece of paper in front of her.

 

“We came over here to study with him so he can pass and all he does is draw the entire time. No wonder he gets such low grades and test scores.” Nevaeh scoffed as she highlighted a particular sentence on one of the pages. 

 

“We can't force him to study Nay.”

 

“I'm sure you could with a quick twist of the arm or a fist to the gut.” Nevaeh said flatly.

 

“Nevaeh!” Malena shouted. Nevaeh just had a little grin on her face as she picked up the large textbook and started skimming through it. Both girls were absorbed in their studies and all that could be heard in the room was the faint scribbling of writing utensils.

 

“Finished! That took way longer than I thought.” Nikolas shouted, tossing his pencil on the floor next to him. He cracked his fingers a bit as he tossed the sketchbook up to Nevaeh first. He rolled his neck around for a moment to loosen it up.

 

Nevaeh grabbed the book and looked closely at it. It was two pairs of extremely realistic looking eyes. The more she looked at them, the more familiar they looked. It finally hit her after a few moments.

 

“You were drawing mine and Malena’s eyes for over an hour and a half?” Nevaeh asked, arching her brow a bit. 

 

“I know you and Mellie are identical twins and stuff and you guys are supposed to look like carbon copies of each other but there are subtle differences between you two. The more I look at you two, the more I see them,” he said, leaning back on his hands and looking over at Malena. “The biggest difference is in your eyes. Just because they are very close in color and general shape, doesn't mean they are identical. You each have a unique set of eyes.” he explained, turning to look at the ceiling. “Plus I wanted to doodle and eyes are typically quick but I decided to put wayyyy to much work in it. Better appreciate it.”

 

Nevaeh felt a little lump in her throat as she stared at the drawing. She couldn’t even pick out which were her own and which were her sister’s. To the naked eye, they looked almost the same but as she looked Nevaeh was able to point out every difference. The slight beauty mark next to Malena’s left eyes, the way her eyes curved upwards at the end, or that Malena’s eyelashes made her eyes brighter. And Nikolas managed to catch them all.

 

“Stop hogging it! I want to see it too Nay!” Malena said, crawling towards the bed to take the sketchbook from her hands. 

 

“Hey! Be careful with it. That is not a cheap sketchbook ya know.” Nikolas pointed out.

 

“You act like your grandpa Regis wouldn’t go and buy you a new one right away. The man practically funds your art studio.” Malena spat back. Nikolas frowned as shook his head.

 

“That’s a low blow Mellie and you know it.”

 

Malena shrugged and took the drawing from Nevaeh and looked over it. She was definitely very impressed with it but she wouldn’t tell him that. She figured his ego had gotten enough stroking these days. 

 

“It’s okay. I’ve seen better sketches from you.” Malena said, handing the book back to Nik. “You must spend a lot of time looking at our eyes. You got a lot of details in there. Some I even couldn’t pick out.”

 

“Well, I have  _ only _ been looking at you nearly every other day since the day you two were born. Hell, I was there to hold you guys fresh out the womb. I have had plenty of time to catch all the little details.” Nikolas said, pushing some stray hairs back into the messy bun on his head and putting his glasses on the top of his head. “I think you two forget sometimes I’m more than 3 years older than you.”

 

“Sure don’t act like it.” Nevaeh muttered under her breath as she continued to read. Nikolas rolled his eyes at the comment.

 

“Moral of the story: I have been looking at you two forever. I am sure I can find many different things, appearance wise, between you two.”

 

“Wonderful story Nikolas but stories don’t get you a passing grade on your exam. So get to studying or I'll just report to your Papa, or shall I say his  _ highness _ , on your progress.” Nevaeh threatened, without even looking up. A chill went through his spine for a moment, thinking about Noctis getting mad at him.

 

“Fine...but you need to help me with his algebra okay? Damn letters fuck up everything…” he said, pulling his glasses down over his eyes and starting to read over his textbook.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
>  
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr! I don't bite and my chat and ask box are always open!
> 
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/mermaid-fins-and-mermaid-tears
> 
> Feedback and kudos are always and forever appreciated as well!


	7. Brotherly Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nikolas upsets someone important to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time so see! I am sorry for the delay. Life has been busy and I don't have a lot of time to write as much as I would like. So I hope this update is okay!
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr (http://mermaid-fins-and-mermaid-tears.tumblr.com) for more shinagins and things of that nature. 
> 
> If you make anything inspired by this or my other fic (i.e fan art, fan fic,ect) PLEASE SEND IT MY WAY. LET ME LOVE IT AND LOVE YOU. I honest to god cry every time I see something like that. It is awesome to know you guys enjoy my word and I promise to keep you guys happy!
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy!

Nikolas had been cooped up in his art room for almost the entire morning and afternoon. The sun was starting to set before he decided to take a break and relax for the first time all day. He pulled his glasses over on top of his head and let the messy bun out as well, letting his hair flow down. He did his bun just a little too tight today and it was making his head start to ache.

 

He had been working on a big piece, something to go into a local art gallery starting the next week and it had to be perfect. It would be his debut as an artist and he took it more seriously than anything he ever did before that. He hadn't put in this much work on a painting since he did a large piece for his grandpa Regis over a year ago for his birthday. He has been the piece for the gallery now for over three weeks, day in and day out, excluding times he went to school. But the moment when he got home from school, he was back to painting. Now that it was so close to the deadline, it made him think it wasn’t good enough and he had been putting in even more effort than before.

 

It was pretty obvious that it was starting to take a toll on the young prince as the bags under his eyes grew and his eyes were almost always glassed over and he always seemed to have can of ebony or energy drink in his hands. He even put a sleeping bag in his art room so he could get up right away and work.

 

He had to give the best piece he possibly could, to show that he got into the gallery in sheer talent alone and not his family name. He used a pseudonym to apply first before actually telling the curators who he really was, just to make sure they didn't accept him because he was the crown prince of Lucis.

 

With the sun fading fast, he reached over to a small table nearby with had a few half empty bags of chips and snacks as well as an energy drink. He took a huge gulp and grabbed the bag of chips to munch on. He just needed a little bit more energy to finish this spot before he went to bed. 

 

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling his energy fading just as fast as the sun. But the small moment of rest didn't last very long.

 

**_Knock knock knock_ **

 

Nikolas sighed deeply, not making an effort to get up. Whoever it was would open the door themselves if they wanted to talk. 

 

“Nikky!!!” A shrill voice echoed from the other side 

 

Nik sighed deeply as he pinched the bridge of his nose to keep an impending headache from striking. “Phoebe...please not right now.” He called out.

 

A loud whine came from behind the door before it was opened, revealing a small freckled blonde girl in a pastel pink dress. She walked in and stood in front of Nikolas.

 

“Daddy said you need to come out. It’s been all day.” The small girl said, pulling on her older brother’s pant leg. Nikolas groaned and pushed her away from him. 

 

“Phoebe stop. You are going to rip my pants and I won't be happy if you rip my only non-paint covered sweatpants..” He scolded before looking over at her with tired eyes. “Now please leave me alone. I'm very busy and I don't have time to play with you today.” 

 

“But...but Daddy said…” she started, her eyes watering up.

 

“Please...please don't start crying. I can’t take it right now.” He said in a huff. “If dad wants to tell me that, he can come in here himself instead of sending his 4-year-old to guilt trip me.” He said, going back to slumping in his seat.

 

“Nikky….”

 

“What Phoebe? I'm tired and I want to finish this spot before two am. I don't feel like listening to you whine anymore.” He snapped.

 

The girl's freckled cheeks turned red as her eyes started to water. But, she did her best not to cry in front of her brother, like he said earlier. She reached up and wiped the tears dripping down her face. 

 

“I just wanted to say I like your pretty paint…” she said, pointing towards the piece on the easel. “I'm sorry….” She said before running out the room crying loudly. 

 

Maybe he was a little harsh on her. She was only a kid following instructions... 

 

Nikolas sighed deeply and rubbed his eyes. He didn't mean to make her cry. He guessed the stress and lack of sleep were starting to get to him. He ran his hand through his tangled hair before standing up. He assumed he should tell her he was sorry before she decided she wanted to be scared of him again. Last time she didn't come hear him for over a month. 

 

He headed down the halls of the citadel, looking all her usual hiding spots. She wasn't under the table in the lobby. She wasn't hiding behind the curtains of the ballroom. She wasn't even in the kitchen cabinets. He had no idea where she could be so he used his last ditch effort; yelling.

 

“Phoebe!!! Phoebe!!!” He called out, his hands cupping around his mouth. He listened carefully to see if he could hear the little pitter patter of her footsteps but he heard nothing.

 

“Phoebe!! Please come out!!”

 

He was met with silence again. He sighed deeply, moving into his next plan.

 

“Phoebe! I'm sorry okay!! I didn't mean to yell at you!! I'm a big fat meanie and I'm sorry okay!! Now please some out!”

 

A loud sniffle came from behind him. He spun around on his heel to hear where it came from. The small blonde came out from a closet, rubbing her red, wet eyes.

 

“You mean it?” She said, still sounds like she was on the verge of tears. 

 

“I mean it. I'm sorry I snapped at you. I didn't mean to upset you. I'm just really tired.” He said, scratching the back of his head. 

 

Phoebe came all the way out the door and walked over to the other boy, burying her face in his leg. “It's okay big brother...you should just sleep more. You always look so sleepy...” She said, wiping the remaining tears into his pant leg.

 

“I'll sleep more if you don't wipe your tears on my ever again. That’s weird  and gross.” He said, leaning down to pick her up with a groan. She was definitely heavier than he remembered her being.

 

Phoebe laid her head gently on her older brother's shoulders and wrapped her arms around his neck. 

 

“Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the family Phoebe Lynne Lucis Caelum! I wanted to give one of the families another kid and after careful discussion with my friend bulecelup on Tumblr, we decided to let Noct and Prom have a darling little girl!
> 
>  
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed and thank you for reading!


	8. Grace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins have a new person to train.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no see. I wanted to add a character to the story here so here we are. I don't really have an excuse to why I haven't been posting. I am sorry. I'll try my best to keep this and the other fic updated.
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr @mermaid-fin-and-mermaid-tears
> 
> My ask box and inbox are always open to chat. I love hearing what you guys have to say and hearing your headcanons and making new buddies!
> 
>  
> 
> <http://mermaid-fins-and-mermaid-tears.tumblr.com/post/162868772527/i-know-it-has-been-a-while-since-i-updated-some>  
> 

Both Malena and Nevaeh stood in front of his majesty, the king- backs straight and arms behind their backs just as they were taught. Both girls had been summoned to the throne room once school was over for a quick meeting and they didn't skip a beat. Regardless of the king was their uncle, they still treated him just as they were serving for a total stranger. 

 

“Thanks for joining me today girls. I hope you didn't rush too bad to get here after school.” Noctis said from the seat of the throne, looking almost uncomfortable having to be so formal with his nieces like this.

 

“It was no problem, your majesty. The school isn't too far of a walk from the Citadel so it didn't take us long. Thank you for your concern though.” Nevaeh answered, lowering her head a little.

 

“Head up Nevaeh. I'm not some cold stranger up here. You can look at me in the eyes.”

 

“A-ah...I'm sorry. Force of habit taught by my parents.” She said nervously, putting her head up.

 

“Of course. They never are going to fall out of those old ways of theirs. Guess why they were so good at their jobs.” He said with a chuckle. Malena shifted on her feet and looked at bit impatient.

 

“Sorry for interrupting sir but why were we summoned here today?” Malena asked bluntly, making Nevaeh snap her head towards her as a warning to keep formal.

 

“Ah. I'm sorry to keep you waiting. I'm sure you have plenty of other things to do right now. I'll make this quick then.” Noctis said, sitting up a little straighter in his seat and gesturing for someone to open the doors.

 

The guards opened a side door and in walked a young man nearing the girls’ age. He had reasonably pale skin, amber colored eyes, and long dusty red hair pulled back into a slick ponytail. He seemed on the taller side, probably standing taller than Nevaeh at the moment and she was over five foot five and still growing and clad in a fresh crownsguard "training" uniform. He looked over at both girls and smiled but it seemed his eyes were focused on Nevaeh for a moment before a bit of blush colored his cheeks.

 

Both girls kept their attention on the young man in front of them. 

 

“Feel free to introduce yourself.” Noctis said.

 

The boy nodded and bowed slightly to both girls and suddenly they understood how weird it was for someone to treat them with the same formality they gave out. It made them a little uncomfortable. 

 

“A-Ah yes...umm..Hello, my name is Landyn. It's a pleasure to meet both the future king’s shield and advisor though you both are a bit younger than I had imagined.” He said, his voice soft in nature, face still pink.

 

“He's going to be training with the crown guard and will be training under both of you to guard and guide Phoebe.” Noctis explained. “Teach him well.”

 

Both girls looked at Noct and then at Landyn then back at Noctis. It didn't look like they had much of a choice in the matter. As if they plates weren't already full. 

 

“As you wish sir.” Both girls said in unison. 

 

“Great! Now you are all free to go. I suggest some type of bonding so you guys can get to know each other. You'll be seeing a lot of each other now.”  Noctis said” finally relaxing in his chair.

 

Both girls nodded and gave a slight bow before leaving the room - Landyn following close behind.

 

Once they were out the throne room, Malena stepped in front of both of them and caused them to stop.

 

“I have a lesson right now with Pop so I can't stick around. Can't skip it. Guess I'll get to know you better another time...ummm.” Malena said, trailing off towards the end there.

 

“Landyn.” he reminded.

 

“Uh yeah. That's right. Landyn. I remember it eventually. Promise. I really gotta go though. See you two later.” She said before waving goodbye and running off.

 

The silence was awkward at first, both Landyn and Nevaeh standing next to each other while Nevaeh diligently looked at her phone.

 

“My apologies. My schedule is on my phone and I need to make sure I didn't have any plans before I try this bonding thing.” She mentioned, swiping through her phone. “Looks like I'm free until I have to practice at 5:30 when the second training room opens in here.”

 

“Oh? Are you training today too?” Landyn asked.

 

“No. I'm talking about dance practice. I have a lead role in an upcoming performance so I need to practice as much as I can to stay on top.” She said.

 

“So you dance as well as perform your duties as an advisor?”

 

“Yes. I refuse to let my life revolve around my duty like my parents did. I have a dream and I plan on achieving it while still doing my job. I'm just lucky the prince is a quiet one.” Nevaeh said, brushing her hair over her shoulder.

 

“That's a lot to take on for someone so young. I heard you and your sister are well into high school already as well?” 

 

“Yeah. We skipped a couple grades. Helps when your liege goes to school with you. We can keep an eye on him better. I can monitor his grades while Malena keeps him focused. Simple.” She pointed out. “What grade are you in? Also how old are you? If you don't already know, My sister and I are fourteen, going to be fifteen in a couple months.”

 

“Oh...I just turned sixteen a month or so ago. And I'm in the tenth grade. I was held back a year because I was gone for a majority of the year for family issues.” He confessed. 

 

“Interesting. Well, I suggest you learn to balance duty and school quickly. It becomes tiring quickly.” Nevaeh mentioned. There was a loud notification tone coming from her phone. She pulled it out of her pocket and checked it out. She smiled brightly as her phone before scrolling through the message again.

 

“Yes! The training room is open early!” She said excitedly before running off towards the room, seemingly forgetting Landyn was there in her excitement. He followed behind her, unsure what to do just yet. He still wasn't used to the citadel.

 

\---

 

Landyn was out of breath by the time he had gotten to the older training room to see what Nevaeh was up to. But, she had already run back to the locker room and changed quickly into her dance clothes and grabbed her speakers she kept hidden in the back. “I'm sorry I left you behind. I got excited. Happens sometimes.” She said as she set down the speakers and tied her hair up into a bun. “I know we are supposed to be ‘bonding’ so I'll allow you to sit in and watch my practice. I normally don't let just anyone watch. Guess it will help you get to know me a little more.” She said, starting to stretch out thoroughly.

 

“Ah..thank you. I guess I'll just sit over here then.” He said as he sat up against the wall and relaxed. He pulled his hair out of that slick ponytail and ran his fingers through it a few times, sighing in relief. He pulled out his phone and started to play a quick match of Kings Knight 4 on it. Time always passed quickly when he played that game it seemed.

 

That is until he heard the music fill the room and saw Nevaeh dance for the first time.

 

It was almost as if it were an entirely different person in front of him. The rigid girl he met before was nowhere to be found. Instead she was replaced with someone full of joy and spontaneity. Someone loose and enjoying the moment. Everything was graceful and he couldn't take his eyes off her. The same light flush peaked from his cheeks as her routine came to a close. She was in her final pose, breathing heavily and smiling for a moment.

 

She broke her pose and muttered a few thing to herself before looking over at Landyn, hands on her hips as she caught her breath. “What did you think?”

 

His mouth opened but he couldn't seem to complete a sentence in his head. “Absolutely gorgeous” was all he could say.

 

Nevaeh have him a breathy chuckle and a warm smile. “Thank you.” She said sincerely.

 

Landyn knew right then and there that suddenly this job was going to be a lot harder than he imagined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys can't tell, I love writing long haired boys.


	9. Pink Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nikky paints with Pheobe!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey yall!
> 
> Sorry for the long hiatus. I had a lot of personal issues as of the last couple months that was keeping me from being able to write some new stuff for you guys. So here I am, presenting a new chapter for you guys after a longggg time.
> 
> I'm still taking requests and ideas for future chapters!
> 
> Comments are also much appreciated and wanted as I love to hear your thoughts and it makes my day to read them all!
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr @mermaid-fin-and-mermaid-tears
> 
> My ask box and inbox are always open to chat. I love hearing what you guys have to say and hearing your headcanons and ideas and making new buddies If you have anything inspired by this fic (fan art, fics, anything!!) Tag me in it on Tumblr so I can show you all the love! It really brightens my day!
> 
>  
> 
> <http://mermaid-fins-and-mermaid-tears.tumblr.com/post/162868772527/i-know-it-has-been-a-while-since-i-updated-some>  
> 

“Nikky!!! Nikky!!!” Phoebe whined, her hands covered in various colors of paint. “I got paint in my hair!”

 

Nikolas looked down at her and sighed softly before chuckling. “I told you to use the brushes, Bebe. You wouldn’t have gotten the paint everywhere if you used them.” he said softly, putting his pallet of colors down to help her.

 

“I tried! I really did! But the paint got everywhere, so I just used my fingers. It’s funner that way!” she said, wiping the paint on the large white t-shirt she was wearing. 

 

Nikolas chuckled a little a grabbed a tiny towel that was next to him and wet it a little before getting the paint out of her hair. “I am glad I put down the plastic for you to paint on. Dad would have gotten upset if he had to get  _ more _ paint out the carpet in here.” he said, wiping the chunk of her blonde hair had pink paint in it.

 

“How do you paint all day without getting bored Nikky? I just want to splatter it everywhere but you take forever just to do one picture.” she said with a huff, crossing her arms over her chest. Nikolas finished getting the paint out of her hair and put one of his headbands on over her hair to keep it back.

 

“I like taking my time. It makes the finished product look very pretty. You will learn when you are older.” Nikky said, picking back up his brush and slipping his glasses on as well.

 

“Do you think my picture is pretty Nikky?” she asked, looking up at him with those heart-melting big blue eyes.

 

Nikolas smiled and nodded. “Of course Phoebe. Dad and Papa are going to love it. We will have to put it in a frame as well.” he said.

 

Phoebe’s smile grew even bigger as she got up and climbed onto Nikky, getting paint all over his pants and shirt. “Really?! I get a frame like your pictures???” she asked, excitedly, bouncing up and down.

 

“Of course. You made it right? It looks nice, so it deserves to be hung up with the rest of the art.” he said, pulling her onto his lap a little more, so she didn’t go tumbling on the floor. “Careful or you will fall on your art.” 

 

She took a deep breath and calmed herself down. “Okay Okay. I’m okay now. I’m gunna add more pink!” she said, jumping off of Nikolas and going back to her spot on the floor.

 

“Don’t forget you gotta name it too Bebe. Once it’s got a name, then you are all finished.” he added, adding some highlights to his painting.

 

“A name?”

 

“Yeah. Like something to call it. Like the painting Grandpa has in his office of the pond is called ‘A Day in the Sunlight.'” he said, pushing his glasses up on his nose.

 

Phoebe furrowed her brows and nodded before looking down at her piece again. She put her finger in the pink paint container and put a few little hearts around the paper, four to be exact. Nikolas stopped and looked over at Phoebe who was concentrating hard on her little hearts.

 

“What are the hearts for Bebe?” he asked.

 

“For us. One for me, one for you, one for Daddy, and one for Papa.” she explained, filling in each heart. “All the colors mixed up behind the hearts is for the crazy world. But no matter what, we have each other.” she muttered, finishing filling in the hearts.

 

Nikolas felt his heart grow a little, smiling a little. “Good idea. I love it. So are Dad and Papa.” he said. 

 

"I'm going to name it Love." She said quietly, adding some purple to the spots around the hearts. "Is that a good name Nikky?" She asked, looking up at her older brother.

Nikolas smiled and patted her head softly. 

"It's a great name Phoebe."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


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